1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system which displays structural formulae of compounds, and more particularly, relates to a method for displaying a character string as a part of a structural formula.
2. Description of the Related Art
Systems for displaying structural formulae of compounds have been devised so that researchers who study compounds can easily handle compound data (for example, refer to Japanese Patent No. 2620402).
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating examples of screen images displaying a structural formula of a compound. The methods for displaying a structural formula of a compound include a method wherein the structural formula is shown as a graphic in which individual elements constituting the compound are linked together by lines representing chemical bonds (e.g., Structural Formula 102), a method wherein the structural formula is shown as a character string in which groups (each group including one or more atoms joined together) constituting the compound are linked together (e.g., Structural Formula 104), and a method wherein a part of the structure of the compound is shown as a graphic and another part of the compound is shown as a character string (e.g., Structural Formula 106).
In Structural Formula 106, the character string part is arranged on the right side of the graphic part. Here, consideration is given for the case where the positions of the character string part and the graphic part are reversed.
FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of change in expression of a character string part following change in position of the character string part according to a conventional method. In Structural Formula 112, the character string part in Structural Formula 106 is moved as it is to the left side of the graphic part. In Structural Formula 106, the group bonded to the benzene ring is “CH2”. However, in Structural Formula 112, the group bonded to the benzene ring appears to be “CH3”, and thus, Structural Formula 112 is inconvenient. Consequently, to date, the left-to-right order in alignment of atom symbols in the character string part has been reversed as in Structural Formula 114. Hereinafter, such reversal operation of the left-to-right order in alignment is referred to as “mirror-reverse”.
While the group bonded to the benzene ring is “CH2” when the structural formula is displayed as in Structural Formula 114, it is difficult for the user to understand at a glance the structure of the compound in Structural Formula 114, since the alignment of atom symbols in the character string part is different from the typical alignment.